The first eight teams to qualify for the 2026 Esports World Cup Counter-Strike 2 tournament have been determined.

The 2026 EWC Counter-Strike 2 Open Qualifiers officially kicked off today. This year's tournament features a retro atmosphere with a large number of 64 participating teams competing in a venue resembling an early LAN exhibition hall.

After a day of intense competition, eight teams have already secured their playoff spots, vying for one of only four main event slots. Established powerhouses like BC.Game and Fnatic lead the initial qualifying roster.

BC.Game, the team of the highly anticipated Counter-Strike 2 legend s1mple, faced their first high-pressure real battle with their new lineup. Although they occasionally lost rounds against second-tier teams, they still managed to emerge victorious from Group 6.

Furthermore, the BO3 (best-of-three) format ensured that top teams performed consistently, leaving little room for upsets. The first eight teams to advance to the playoffs are Inner Circle, BIG, DENDELE, HOTU, Betclic, BC.Game, HEROIC, and Fnatic.

The sight of top professional players returning to their roots and competing against grassroots teams on basic LAN arenas adds a unique competitive charm to this year's Counter-Strike 2 qualifiers. The tournament will continue until August 9th, with the winners' bracket finals for groups 9 through 16 taking place to secure the remaining playoff spots.

Image source: Internet